Cutting a Mossberg 500 Barrel: 28 or 24?

[wild cat mccane]

Hello,

I just purchased a Mossberg 500 12 gauge Bantam (youth sized model) which comes with a 24" barrel with chokes. I also have a 28" barrel with chokes. Both barrels have vent ribbing.

I would like a vent rib barrel in the 18-20" range, but Mossberg only makes a 20" vr barrel and Buds has it for $155. I have tried selling either of my barrels locally, and can't get any interest, let alone at a similar to retail price. So now I have three options:

Sell both 24 and 28 barrels at horrible prices and get the 20" vr barrel. Now own only one barrel.

Sell one of the barrels for half the cost of the 20" vr barrel, pay the other half, and loose again when trying to sell the 20" vr barrel.

Cut one of the two vr barrels I own. Since I can't seem to sell them even close to the higher retail price they command over even a non vr 18.5" barrel without chokes, it seems like this is the way to go.

So, I think the 28" is looking like a possible candidate because the 24" is the stock Bantam model length (future resale if needed). But the difference in use between 20" and 24" might make keeping the 28" barrel worth it.

What length goes under for a cut and any suggestion on how to cut?

Thank you!

 

[243winxb]

A fine tooth hacksaw will cut it.

But it has to be cut right in front of a rib post and be square. But the spacing of the rip posts may not be at the length you want. Could ever be under the legal length? My 20" cant be cut to 18" , for example.

There will be no choke, only cylinder bore.

I suggest you keep trying to sell or trade the extra 28" barrel. Making scrap out of a good barrel, may happen.

Are you going to put a bead front sight back on? Thats something to think about also.

 

[splattergun]

You don't have to justify why you want a rib on your short barrel, least of all to me, but I am curious why you want a rib on your short barrel.
Mossberg sells a fine 18 1/2 inch barrel. I use it myself with excellent results.

 

[CopperFouling]

Is your 28" ported?

 

[1KPerDay]

I personally like the looks of vent ribs on all barrels, and prefer the "sight picture." I'd have vent ribs on all my shotguns if possible. Cut one of yours, IMO. They aren't rare and you already have it.

 

[bearcreek]

Rent a tap and reamer from this place: http://www.4-dproducts.com/displayitem.php?rowid=21&tname=tool You can cut the barrel down with a hacksaw or band saw if you have one. The reamer squares up the cut for you. Obviously you'd need to cut it so the muzzle ends up at one of the rib supports. This way you get a nice, squared, factory looking muzzle and it will accept thread in choke tubes, expanding your options beyond the traditional cylinder bore of most shorter barrels.

 

[bubba in ca]

Cut both of them. If you do a good job you can sell the extra short barrel for more than the standard length one!
Better yet, cut the long one which is very common and worth less, and keep the 24 inch just in case.
Lots of videos on barrel whacking online, including how to measure the lenght like ATF does.
Vent ribs are the best for HD, easier to shoot quickly rather than searching for a little bead. You can get clip on Hiviz front sight instead of he drilling for a bead. Even if you do drill, it is much easier on a vent rib because you don't have to worry about protrusion into the barrel because you are drilling on the rib.
Your barrel will probably be a smidge more than 18" to keep a wholerib support and a little barrel to spare. Mine ended up at 18 and 5/8ths.

 

[entropy]

You can cut the rib back to the next post if needed. I did that to an evidence gun I purchased that had been crudely hacked to just over 18". (I measured it very carefully before I decided to buy it.) They had left the rib hacked midway between posts, so I buzzed it back with a dremel, squared the muzzle, cold blued them, and drilled and tapped a Spark II into it. The barrel goes about 5/8 past the last post. It's my HD shotgun; not pretty, but it does the job:

 

[sappyg]

Sometimes you're better off just buying the gun you wanted in the 1st place.

If you must, a hacksaw and file will solve your problems. Buds 20" barrel looks like a better deal to me all the same.

 

[CopperFouling]

OP, check your private messages. I may have a mutually beneficial solution.